Ad units in magazines’ iPad editions climbed 16% in 2013, according to a report out Monday by MPA-The Association of Magazine Media and Kantar Media.

The report, which looked at 69 magazines with monitored print and iPad editions, is a hopeful sign for traditional publishers stymied by secular headwinds affecting print media. The number of ad pages in the same titles’ print editions was roughly flat this year at 0.1%, the report said.

As few as five years ago, Live Nation didn’t consider itself a data company. Now data is a core part of the concert promoter’s DNA, according to John Forese, who joined in 2011 to head a new data arm, LiveAnalytics, as senior VP and GM.

Live Nation sits on a slew of ticket buyer data, after all, that illuminates who is willing to pony up to see musical artists and sporting events. So it’s no surprise that the company ultimately began investing heavily in its data division. Since his arrival, Mr. Forese has built a team of around 20 research experts and statisticians, most based in Los Angeles, where Live Nation is headquartered.

Now LiveNation, which merged with Ticketmaster in 2010, uses purchase data to help marketers determine what types of music their target audiences enjoy. The key to reaching that goal was integrating databases that were once siloed.

Apple’s New Year’s resolution for iTunes Radio: create reasons for launch advertisers to hit repeat and new brands to press play.

ITunes Radio’s first wave of advertisers have been pleased with the streaming music service since its September launch, but Apple’s digital radio product hasn’t checked every item on their wish lists, like more granular ad-targeting options than the standard parameters like age, gender and zip code. And prospective media buyers await proof that iTunes Radio is noise-canceling competitive services like the more sizeable Pandora.

“The results so far are right on target,” said Ben Winkler, chief digital officer at OMD, whose clients include iTunes Radio launch advertisers Pepsi and Nissan. Mr. Winkler declined to delve into specific results, but said iTunes Radio advertisers were reaching more people on their mobile devices than originally anticipated.

Who says data pros have two left feet? Elise Neel, newly hired VP-data and insights at mobile-data firm PlaceIQ, took a roundabout route to her current position, in which she evaluates data partners and provides the company’s sales strategists with information to help clients understand who’s visiting certain types of businesses.

“What qualifies me for this data-related job the most is the creativity and visual perception strengths that I relied upon as a dancer,” said Ms. Neel. “As a tap dancer, for example, you have four instruments at your disposal: two legs each equipped with a toe and heel piece. After more than 20 years as a tap dancer, you start to learn how to get creative and use those instruments in new ways.”

Getting to this point wasn’t exactly part of a planned career path for Ms. Neel, though. In fact, Pepperdine University was the only school she applied to when she reluctantly decided to give college a try. She got in. “It was literally just shy of a God-made miracle,” she said humbly. She has a bachelor’s degree in advertising.

Two of the world’s-largest TV production companies, Endemol and FremantleMedia, are plotting online programming assaults for 2014. However rather than strong-arm their TV productions to the web, both companies will assimilate to the way things are done online.

Endemol — the producer behind “Big Brother” and “Deal or No Deal” — has invested $40.3 million to create Endemol Beyond, an online- video network akin to digital natives like Fullscreen and Maker Studios. The company even looked to the digital-video industry for the man to spearhead the network, hiring former Maker Studios exec Will Keenan to become president of Endemol Beyond USA.

And next month “American Idol” producer FremantleMedia will debut the British production company’s first new digital series since its North American division launched a digital production business in September.

Drink one too many Christmas ales? Planning to tip a few back at a Super Bowl party? Plenty of alcohol brands are offering to help pay for your ride home this winter.

In the newest twist on responsibility advertising, beer and liquor brands are increasingly partnering with transportation apps like Taxi Magic and Uber to give away discounts on rides. This being marketing, there is a small catch, however: In most cases users must engage with the brands digitally before they get deals.